Headlamp



May 5, 1925.

HEADLAMP Filed May 4. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet'l kffg/ May 5, 1925. 1,536,085

, H.A.DQUGLAS HEADLAMP Filed May 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1925 UNITED STATES HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF BB QNSON, MICHIGAN.

HEADLAMLP.

Application filed May 4,

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Headlamps, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to reflecting head lamps for vehicles and'has for its object the construction of such a lamp whereby light rays emanating therefrom may have their direction changed. In carrying out my in vention a supplemental reflector is adjustably disposed in front of a main reflector and within the enclosure defined by the main reflector and the light transmitting cover in front thereof.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the reflecting surface of the main reflector, is substantially of parabolic curvature as is also the reflecting surface of the supplemental reflector which is co-extensive with a portion only of the main reflector, although these reflectors may be otherwise concave without departing from some of the features of the invention. The supplemental reflector and the portion of the main reflector uncovered thereby co-operate in reflecting light rays impinging thereupon from an incandescent lamp or other suitable lighting source. The foci of the two re fleeting elements are preferably coincident and the supplemental reflector is desirably hung to turn upon a geometrical axis that is at right angles to and which substantially intersects the axis of the parabolic curve of the main reflector.

As the invention has been embodied the geometrical axis upon which the supplemental reflector turns is in front of the common foci of the two reflectors. The arrangement is thus such that the streams of light due to both reflectors may be merged to form a single lighting beam whose axis is the parabolic axis of the main reflector or the stream of light due to the supplemental reflector may cross the stream of light due to the portion of the main reflector that is uncovered by the supplemental reflector, all according to the adjustment of the supplemental reflector. The supplemental reflector is desirably positioned to produce the upper strata or top section of the beam of light normally emanating from the lamp and is adapted to be turned downwardly and for- 1923. Serial .No. 636,609.

Wardly'when it is desired to lower the upper section of the beam of light to prevent it from striking the eyes of the occupants eludes electro-magnetic mechanism and mot1on transmitting parts so arranged and 1n of the invention the adjusting means interre-lated that a single push button or switch may be effective to turn the supplemental reflector forwardly and downwardly or to restore the same to its normal position. This feature of the invention may also be adapted to a lamp having but one reflector.

My invention will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an axial vertical sectional view of a head lamp constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal axial section with some parts of the lamp shown in full plan; Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a part of the structure on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an axial sectional elevation taken oppositely to the direction in which Fig. 1 is taken; and Fig. 5 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic, illustrating the mechanism of my invention and the electro-magnetic means for controlling the supplemental reflector which is illustrated as having been downwardly and-forwardly turned.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The main reflector 1 has a curved reflecting surface that is essentially parabolic. This reflector is surrounded by the lamp body 2 that is provided with any suitable means. for mounting the lamp. A light transmitting cover or closure 3 engages the front edge of the reflector 1 and is held in place by an annular lid 4 that is separably assembled with the lamp body in any suitable way- The lighting source 5 is desirably disposed to have its lighting center substantially (o-incident with the focus of the reflector. This lighting source is preferably an incandescent lamp that is assembled with a sh ll 6 that is coupled at its front end with the rear end of the main reflector and at its rear end with the back 7 of the lamp body. Any suitable means may be employed for including the lamp in circuit, such as that illustrated, and as-the circuit connections form no essential part of my present invention a further description thereof will not be given.

A supplemental reflector 8 has pivots or trunnions 9, 9' located in the axis of the parabolic curve of the main reflector and a little in front of the incandescent lamp for mechanical reasons. The supplemental reflector has a reflecting surface which is also parabolic in curvature, the supplemental reflector being so adjustable that the parabolic axis thereof may be'made to be coincident with the parabolic axis of the main reflector or may cross the same. The supplemental reflector is co-extensive with but a small portion of the main reflector so as to be in controlling relation with but, a portion of the light rays emanating from the lamp.

In order that the lamp may be well adapted for use upon automobiles for the purpose of deflecting a part of the light onto the roadway and out of the range of the eyes of the occupants of passing vehicles, the supplemental reflector is located above the parabolic axis of the main reflector and may be turned downwardly and forwardly in order that the upper part of the beam of light due thereto may be directed downwardly and at an angle to the balance of the beam of light for the purposes stated.

Both trunnions 9, 9 are desirably fixed upon the supplemental reflector and the trunnion 9 is elongated so that it may be fixedly assembled with a rocker 10. An arm 11 is journaled upon the rod 9 to be oscillatable with respect thereto. A pin 12 connects the arm 11 and the magnet core 13 that projects into the bore of a solenoid coil 14, this core having a non-magnetic extension 15 which couples the magnetic portion thereof with the pin 12. The in 12 may travel in an arcuate slot 16 that is concentric with the arm 11 and trunnion 9. When the solenoid coil is energized it serves to bring the arm 11 on one side or, the other of an upright line intersecting the center upon which the arm 11 turns but in this operation the pin is desirably not moved quite to either end of said slot as long as the solenoid or magnet is energized; WVhen the solenoid or magnet is deenergized a spring 17 is effective to complete the movement of the arm and the pin thereon in the direction in which it just had been moved by the solenoid. This spring is stationarily anchored at one end and is connected at its other end with the upper end of the arm 11 and serves to complete the movement of the arm as stated. The spring, in completing this movement of the arm,

engages the rocker 10 to turn the supplemental reflector from its normal position downwardly and forwardly or back to its normal position.

The supplemental reflector and the parts assembled therewith which have been specifically described are all desirably enclosed within the main lamp body and the supplemental reflector itself is located withinthemain reflector in the space between the light transmitting cover 3 thereof and the main reflector.

The circuit employed for turning the supplemental reflector from the adjusted position illustrated in Fig. 5 to its normal position may be traced from the grounded push button switch 18 through any suitable source of current 19, the contacts 20 and 21, the metallic extension 22 upon and insulated from the rocker 10 and that connects these two contacts, the conductor 23, the conductor 24, the left hand section of the solenoid coil 14 between these two conductors, the contact 25, and the extension 26, formed from a single piece of metal with the rocker 10, to ground that is connected with this rocker in any desired way. \Vhen this circuit is established the arm 11 and pin 12 are moved to the left to a point where the pin nearly reaches the left hand end of the arcuate slot 16 at which point the pin rests as long as the circuit at 18 is closed. The pin, in this position, is upon the left of a vertical line intersecting the axis of the arm 11 and the spring 17 connected with thearm is inclined upwardly to the left with its upper end also upon the left hand side of said vertical line. When the button 18 is released the spring 17 becomes eflective to turn the supplemental reflector 8 forwardly and downwardly back to its normal position. When it is desired to turn the supplemental reflector downwardly and forwardly to direct the portion of the light reflected thereby downwardly the button 18 is again depressed, closing a circuit which may be traceable from this button through the source of current 19, the contacts 27 and 28, the extension 22, the conductor 29, the conductor 30, the portion of the solenoid coil between the conductors 29 and 30, the contact 31, the extension 26, to ground. The movements thereby accomplished are similar to those previously described but reversed with respect thereto, the spring 17 being upon the right of the vertical line that intersects the axis of the trunnion 9. When the key 18 is released the pin 12 which had been nearly brought to the right hand end of the arcuate slot 16 by the action of the solenoid is further pulled upon by the spring to engage the rocker 10 to move the supplemental reflector downwardly.

The push buttonl8 may be located upon the dashboard and, as the invention is preferably embodied, is the only instrumentality needed to be operated by a chaufleur.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the circuit closing elements 22 and 26 of the rocker 10 are shifted from engagement with one set of contacts complemental thereto that pertain to one solenoid circuit tov another set of contacts complemental thereto and pertaining to the other solenoid circuit (to enable the succeeding adjustment of the supplemental reflector) onlywhen the spring 17 is permitted to bring the arm 11 through the balance of the movement of this arm from the position to which it was brought by the solenoid. The solenoid holds thearm from having its movement completed by the spring as long as the solenoid is energized. Then the movement of the arm is being completed by the spring the spring operates through the pin to shift the rocker from the position that 'enabledthe closure of the solenoid circuit to eflect. the accomplished adjustment of the supplemental reflector to a position in which the other solenoid circuit may be closed to reverse the v adjustment of the supplemental reflector when the push button is again actuated to but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. A' lamp including a concave reflector; a lighttransmitting closure for the reflector; a. supplemental reflector within the space confined by the main reflector and its closure and covering but a portion of the reflecting surface of the main reflector; elec-.

tro-magnetic -mechanism in adjusting relation to the supplemental reflector; switching means adjustable by the electro-magnetic mechanism when effecting an adjustment of the supplemental reflector to prepare the electro-magnetic mechanism to restore the supplemental reflector to the position from which it was last adjusted; and a manual switch co-operating with said switching.

mechanism in controlling the electro-magnetic mechanism. Y 1

reflecting surface of the main reflector; electro-magnetic mechanism in adjusting relation to the supplemental reflector; switching means adjustable by the electro-magnet-ic mechanism when effecting an adjustment of the supplemental reflector to prepare the electro-magnetic mechanism to restore the supplemental reflector to the position from which it was last adjusted; and a'manua-l switch co-operating with said switching mechanism in controlling the clectro-magnetic mechanism.

3. A lamp including a concave reflector; a light transmitting closure for the reflector; a concave supplemental reflector within the space confined by the main reflector and its closure and covering but a portion of the reflecting surface of the main reflector; electro-magnetic mechanism in adjusting relation to the supplemental reflector and having two operating circuits; a switch in one of said circuits; a second switch in the other of said circuits; a third switch common to the two circuits and co-operating with the switch in each to control it; a switch actuating device common to the first two of the aforesaid switches, said electromagnetic mechanism being in actuating relation thereto and serving partially to operate the same in either of two alternative directions according to the circuit employed; and mechanism operable upon said actuating device to complete its switch operating action upon the release of the employed circuit.

4. A lamp including a concave reflector; a light transmitting closure for the reflector; a supplemental reflector within the space confined by the main reflector and its closure and covering but a portion of the reflecting surface of the-main reflector; electro-magnetic mechanism in adjusting relation to the supplementalreflector and hav ing-two operating circuits; a switch in one of said circuits; a second switch in the other of said ciicuit's; a third switch common to the two circuits and co-operating with the switch in each to control it; a switch actuating device common to the first two of the aforesaid. switches, said electro-magnetic mechanism being in actuating relation thereto and serving partially to operate the same in either-of two alternative directions according to the circuit employed; and mechanisn l, operable upon'said actuating device to complete its switch operating action upon the release of the employed circuit.

I 5.- Adainp including an. adjustable reflector electro-magnetic' mechanism in adj I 1 fijusting relation 'to'said reflector; switching 2. A lamp including a concave --reflect'or;.- a light transmitting closure for reflector;

a concave supplemental reflector withinah space confined by the-main reflector and its closure and covering but a ;por tion;'of the means adjustable by the electro-magnetic flector; electro-magnetic mechanism in ad-.

justing relation to said reflector and having two operating; circuits; a switch in one of "said circuits; a second switch in the other of said circuits; a third switch common to the two circuits and co-operating with the switch in each to control it; a switch a'ctuating device common to the first two of the aforesaid switches, said electro-magnetic mechanism being in actuating'relation thereto and serving partially to operate the same in either of two alternative directions according to the circuit employed; and mechanism operable upon said actuating device to complete its switch operating action upon the release of the employed circuit.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this sixteenth day of April A. 1).,

HARRY A. DOUGLAS 

